hey guys! i am a new guy to this forum and from what ive read i love it! im "cummin" from the dodge forum, i was referred here. i am recently thinking about getting into vehicle/equipment hauling and buying a +-35' gooseneck flatbed trailer. i noticed there is a HUGE handful of people here that seem to be doing what i am looking to get into and i was hoping to see if anyone could give me some advice on where to start and how you guys are all doing with it. i live in the detriot michigan area and i have a 05 5.9 cummin's long box. i couldent help but notice eany one that has a trailer of any long length have duallys... i do not. how much difference does having those make pulling a heavy load? i figured on pulling anything that fit and either in or out of state hauling. i have had this truck for a few months and i just commute in it so i am thinking why not make something on the side out of it? the money for the trailer is not my worry, either is getting the work because i will not be totally depending on the money coming out of it in the beginning. what im worried about is the big money for commercial insurance that i have heard about, do i have to go that route or is it illegal to haul without. im gonna spare the responses of "dont do it" and "its not worth your time" but i the 5 months of winter off every year due to my seasonal job ( concrete construction) so im thinking this would make for something perfect the the winter... what do you guys think, any advice? i would like to thank you in advance for anything you could tell me

 

Hi Nick and welcome aboard. Here is a link to another thread asking this same question. It may be able to answer some of your questions and I'm sure a few more folks will jump in here. It's just hard to make anything hauling part time because insurance companies don't recognize part and full time. You are either for hire or not in their eyes and for hire prices are insanley high. This doesn't even take into account having to meet all the red tape for the various government agencies involved. Is kind of worth your while as a full timer, but you have to meet all the same requirements to do it part time. Anything less then meeting all of the requirements, you may get away with it, but one bad day can cost you everything you won and more.

Good luck with it and be sure to keep us updated on your findings.

https://www.dieselbombers.com/towing-hauling/2464-anyone-tow-equipment-people.html

 

Forgot to add, I run a single wheel 2500 and pull up to a 40' gooseneck with it. It's rated at 21,000 pounds but it is also a triple axle which takes a lot of the weight off the truck. I have had as much as 28,000 on it. If your really looking to haul heavy you also need to look into the 19.5 inch wheel conversions that run semi tires.

You can also pull the bed off and do a few alterations and have your truck registered as a tractor with much higher weight limits. All depends on how far your wanting to take this.

 

sounds good to me......you have an excellent truck for the job

get an exhaust brake

buy some 19.5 tires and wheels.........mine are reated for 6400 lbs each.......about the same as what a duelly will give you as they are rated for 3200 each

 

i seem to hear alot of that about all the codes and government nonsense. the thought came into my mind as once i get a trailer i am good to roll but it does not look that way from what i hear. i have a 2500 as well uncle bubba so that is at least some ease to my head thinking i needed those extra tires to get the job done. in the response to full time part time deal, i was going to call the insurance company within a few days to see whats what but i am hoping to label myself as full time for hire for at least half the year thru the winter months and then just completely remove insurance and park trailer come concrete time but im sure there is a catch to doing that also. i do appreciate your guys responses and i guess from this point on i have to stick to my guns until i find a bridge i cant cross! thanks again & ill have to keep y'all posted

 

Your local Secretary of State and State Police are the two places to call for legal info. Keep in mind with the 2500 legally speaking you are pretty limited on weight because of the GVCW limitations and that is what they all look at. Most of my hauling is legally classified as not for hire ag purpose, so around here I can away with most anything. I have been stopped at portable scales a few times but as long as I can think of some kind of explanation that links my load to an agricultural purpose they tend to look the other way. Now let me be overweight haulin a few cars on that trailer and they would hang me. These circumstances all vary on your local law enforcement, and I quite haulin over the road because it really wasn't worth the hassle. I stay within the surrounding states of home, for the most part.

But on the other hand, I bought a 30' gooseneck in Oklahoma that was 8 inches to wide to be street legal, so I couldn't plate it. I drove it all the way back to Illinois with an orange triangle on it and nobody even paid any attention. Sucked cause it was to wide to fit through the Turnpike toll booths though, so I had to stick to the smaller highways. I also took this same trailer over to Ohio with the orange triangle again to pick up a manure spreader and still never got stopped even on interstate. It's all a matter of luck.

 

I run 22.5, Load range "H" 6600Lbs each. I never run that high on weight but the tires run 130,000 miles plus on my dodge 2500 before I have to change them. I pull up to 14,000 on my trailers 26,000 GVWR. total. All gooseneck a 38 ft enclosed Haulmark Edge and a 24' Open. I ran 3,000 miles a week for three years and stoped early this year. Lots of things to look at. I have a 3500 2 wd, 6 speed and a 2500 4x4 auto. Got to say the 2500 auto single rear wheel works far better that the 3500 std. dule rear wheel. I put on a kelderman Air Ride to level out my load and that helped alot with DOT. If I looked over weight I would get stoped, if I was level it was generaly no proplem. Although I have paid lots of fines so I learned to be carefull. I scale every load. Overfueled